--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we speak to God, we call it prayer…" description: "\"When we speak to God, we call it prayer; when God speaks back, we call it psychosis!\" — Lily Tomlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/lily-tomlin-3278_god-prayer_when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-w_656887.png" --- # When we speak to God, we call it prayer; when God speaks… ![“When we speak to God, we call it prayer; when God speaks back, we call it psychosis!” quote by Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/lily-tomlin-3278_god-prayer_when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-w_656887.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/lily-tomlin-3278_god-prayer_when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-w_656887.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/lily-tomlin-3278_god-prayer_when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-w_656887.png) > “When we speak to God, we call it prayer; when God speaks back, we call it psychosis!” [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer is a request; claiming divine response as psychosis highlights the thin line between faith and delusion. **In simple terms:** Prayer seeks answers; hearing them may seem irrational. Key Takeaway Question the nature of perceived divine communication. Themes faith psychology communication Mood satirical thought‑provoking Type humorous critical When to use this quote - personal prayer - mental health counseling - religious debate - creative comedy Key Concepts belief delusion spiritual experience Questions to Reflect On - When does spiritual belief become harmful? - How do cultural norms shape our view of divine communication? A Different Perspective Not all spiritual experiences are pathological; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-prayer/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Psychosis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychosis/) ## Related quotes > [Beware Okonkwo!" she warned. "Beware of exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak when a god speaks? Beware!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/beware-okonkwo-she-warned-beware-of-exchanging-words-with-agbala-does/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [When we pray we speak to God; but when we read, God speaks to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/when-we-pray-we-speak-to-god-but-when-we-read-god-speaks-to-us/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [God speaks in the silence of the heart, and we listen. And then we speak to God from the fullness of our heart, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/god-speaks-in-the-silence-of-the-heart-and-we-listen-and-then-we/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Through prayer we speak to God. In meditation, God speaks to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/through-prayer-we-speak-to-god-in-meditation-god-speaks-to-us/) [Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/) > [“Prayer is when you speak and God listens and meditation is when God speaks and you listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukhraj-s-dhillon/prayer-is-when-you-speak-and-god-listens-and-meditation-is-when-god/) [Sukhraj S. Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukhraj-s-dhillon/) > [Whether we think of, or speak to, God, whether we act or suffer for him, all is prayer, when we have no other object…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/whether-we-think-of-or-speak-to-god-whether-we-act-or-suffer-for-him/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [God speaks in the silence of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/god-speaks-in-the-silence-of-the-heart/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/if-god-is-not-first-in-our-thoughts-and-efforts-in-the-morning-he/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [“Speak God’s Mind Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things. PROVERBS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/speak-god-s-mind-hear-for-i-will-speak-excellent-and-princely-things/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [I rarely speak about God. To God yes. I protest against Him. I shout at Him. But open discourse about the qualities of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-rarely-speak-about-god-to-god-yes-i-protest-against-him-i-shout-at/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [So live with men as if God saw you and speak to God, as if men heard you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-live-with-men-as-if-god-saw-you-and-speak-to-god-as-if-men-heard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would rather speak the truth to ten men than blandishments and lying to a million. Try it, ye who think there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-would-rather-speak-the-truth-to-ten-men-than-blandishments-and/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I felt it better to speak to God than about Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/i-felt-it-better-to-speak-to-god-than-about-him/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [The instant I reach Heaven, I'm going to speak to God very sharply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-instant-i-reach-heaven-i-m-going-to-speak-to-god-very-sharply/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## More by Lily Tomlin > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“So if you've had a good time tonight, or if you've had a good time any night, for gosh sake's why not drop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/so-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-tonight-or-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-any/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I bought a box of animal crackers, but there was nothing inside. They'd eaten each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-bought-a-box-of-animal-crackers-but-there-was-nothing-inside-they-d/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [You know being relevant or coming up with something interesting, funny to say about what's current is just as hard as it might ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/you-know-being-relevant-or-coming-up-with-something-interesting-funny/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I wanted to be a stage actress. I wanted to be a New York actress and have a community with other actors. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-wanted-to-be-a-stage-actress-i-wanted-to-be-a-new-york-actress-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-have-reason-to-believe-that-man-first-walked-upright-to-free-his/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-don-t-care-we-don-t-have-to-we-re-the-phone-company/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/no-matter-how-cynical-i-get-i-can-t-keep-up/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [In the depths of the night, fear grips my heart. It paralyzes my mind. But most of all, I feel very, very alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/in-the-depths-of-the-night-fear-grips-my-heart-it-paralyzes-my-mind/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. And then I realized I was somebody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wondered-why-somebody-didn-t-do-something-about-that-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/sometimes-i-worry-about-being-a-success-in-a-mediocre-world/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [And yet humanity is so not evolved that how can you expect anything absolutely major to happen? Look how long, we move ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/and-yet-humanity-is-so-not-evolved-that-how-can-you-expect-anything/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [The whole idea of being in captivity in such limited space, especially in a zoo, causes elephants to suffer. They develop all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-whole-idea-of-being-in-captivity-in-such-limited-space-especially/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) [Explore all 135 Lily Tomlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## More God prayer quotes > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/if-god-is-not-first-in-our-thoughts-and-efforts-in-the-morning-he/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Where do you run for help? When you are in trouble, what is your first instinct? Do you run to others or to God?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/where-do-you-run-for-help-when-you-are-in-trouble-what-is-your-first/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [If we grow wiser and more learned in our intercourse with wise and learned persons, how much more will we gain in our inner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huldrych-zwingli/if-we-grow-wiser-and-more-learned-in-our-intercourse-with-wise-and/) [Huldrych Zwingli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huldrych-zwingli/) > [Know God with prayer and praise this day, Know God who loves you very much this day, Know God will protect you this day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-billmyre/know-god-with-prayer-and-praise-this-day-know-god-who-loves-you-very/) Julie Billmyre > [God will do nothing but in answer to prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/god-will-do-nothing-but-in-answer-to-prayer/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Our prayers lay the track down which God's power can come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/our-prayers-lay-the-track-down-which-god-s-power-can-come/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-condition-of-the-church-may-be-very-accurately-gauged-by-its/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [The thing to try and keep in mind, no matter what the day, is there is always something good, to give thanks to God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-hebert/the-thing-to-try-and-keep-in-mind-no-matter-what-the-day-is-there-is/) [Julie Hebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-hebert/) > [If we do not love one another, we certainly shall not have much power with God in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/if-we-do-not-love-one-another-we-certainly-shall-not-have-much-power/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [Those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-torrey/those-persons-who-know-the-deep-peace-of-god-the-unfathomable-peace/) [R. A. Torrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-torrey/) > [“God does hear and answer prayers. I have never doubted that fact. From childhood, at my mother's knee where I first learned to pray;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/god-does-hear-and-answer-prayers-i-have-never-doubted-that-fact-from/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude - an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/prayer-is-not-so-much-an-act-as-it-is-an-attitude-an-attitude-of/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [The best and sweetest flowers of paradise God gives to His people when they are upon their knees. Prayer is the gate of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/the-best-and-sweetest-flowers-of-paradise-god-gives-to-his-people/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [When we go to God by prayer, the devil knows we go to fetch strength against him, and therefore he opposes us all he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sibbes/when-we-go-to-god-by-prayer-the-devil-knows-we-go-to-fetch-strength/) [Richard Sibbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sibbes/) [Browse all 148 God prayer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-prayer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we speak to God, we call it prayer; when God speaks back, we call it psychosis!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lily Tomlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-when-god-speaks-back-we-call/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God prayer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-when-god-speaks-back-we-call/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/lily-tomlin-3278_god-prayer_when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-w_656887.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/lily-tomlin-3278_god-prayer_when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-w_656887.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/lily-tomlin-3278_god-prayer_when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-w_656887.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we speak to God, we call it prayer; when God speaks back, we call it psychosis!” — Lily Tomlin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lily Tomlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When we speak to God, we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-when-god-speaks-back-we-call/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/when-we-speak-to-god-we-call-it-prayer-when-god-speaks-back-we-call/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```